1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been requests for converting a medium such as a single photograph including a silver-halide photograph generated by taking with a film camera, a printed photograph printed based on image data, or the like or a photograph album (photo album) in which a plurality of photographs are arranged as one into image data, and for storing and managing the converted image data on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a cloud. Generally, a medium is read by an image reading apparatus (a flatbed scanner, an auto document feeder (ADF) scanner, an overhead scanner, a handy scanner, or a digital camera), whereby image data is generated.
In the flatbed scanner, one or more single photographs or an area of a photograph album that includes at least a photograph desired to be read is placed on a platen glass, and an image capturing unit performs image capturing of a reading surface disposed on the platen glass side through the platen glass. In the ADF scanner, a plurality of single photographs can be consecutively imaged by an image capturing unit. In the overhead scanner (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-268323) or the digital camera, one or more single photographs or an area of a photograph album that includes at least a photograph desired to be read is arranged within the image capture range of an image capturing unit, and the image capturing unit performs image capturing of a reading surface disposed on the side facing the image capturing unit. In the handy scanner (see U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0142371), the entire area of a single photograph or one photograph of a photograph album is captured by an image capturing unit, and accordingly, the handy scanner is moved while being brought into contact with the single photograph or the photograph album.
Now, it is desired that a damage of a medium be suppressed, the medium can be converted into image data in a simple manner, and the image data having high image quality is generated. In the flatbed scanner, the ADF scanner, the overhead scanner, or the like, a medium needs to be taken to a place at which the scanner is installed, and the medium needs to be arranged or devised such that image capturing of the medium can be performed in good way by the image capturing unit. For example, in the ADF scanner, in a case where a photograph included in a photograph album is to be converted into image data, the photograph is taken from the photograph album once. Particularly, in the case of a photograph album in which photographs are fixed using an adhesive, there are problems in that the photograph may be damaged at the time of peeling off the photograph, and the adhesive force of the adhesive is weakened by peeling off the photograph, which makes it difficult to attach the photograph to the photograph album again.
In addition, when using the ADF scanner, since a photograph is conveyed to the image capturing unit using conveyance rollers, there is a problem that the photograph may be damaged. Similarly, in the case of the handy scanner, the handy scanner is brought into contact with a medium, and accordingly, there is a problem in that the medium may be damaged.
When using the handy scanner, in a case where a single photograph is to be converted into image data, the photograph needs to be pressed by hand or the like such that the photograph is not moved. In addition, since the handy scanner is moved, a user has to perform a lot of operations, which makes the user feel bothersome. Furthermore, since the user moves the handy scanner with respect to the medium, a relative speed between the medium and the handy scanner is not constant, and it is difficult to maintain the image quality of the image data to be generated to be high.
When using the overhead scanner or the digital camera, since the single photograph(s) or the photograph album is exposed to an environment where the overhead scanner or the digital camera is arranged at the time of image capturing, the overhead scanner or the digital camera is influenced by the environment. A paper such as a printing sheet used for a silver-halide photograph or a glossy sheet used for photograph printing have reflectivity higher than that of a plain sheet, and accordingly, the ambient light emitted to the medium from the outside is reflected on the reading surface of the medium and is directly incident to the image capturing unit. As a result, there is a trouble according to an increase in the reflected light of the ambient light that is directly incident to the image capturing unit, in other words, a reflection of the ambient light occurs, and accordingly, it is difficult to maintain the image quality of the image data to be generated to be high.